People that know they have pre-diabetes may ultimately develop T2D. A new study called RISE is focusing on what, if anything, can be done to restore insulin secretion in compromised insulin-producing cells. The study was published in Diabetes Care.

The Restoring Insulin Secretion (RISE) Consortium is testing methods designed to preserve or improve islet-cell function in pre-diabetes or early onset T2D. Participants were followed on 4 different protocol for 12 months. Patients were assessed by a GTT, glucose tolerance test.

The medication protocols were placebo, metformin alone, liraglutide (Victoza) plus metformin, or insulin for 3 months followed by metformin for 9 months. The pediatric medication protocol randomizes participants to metformin or insulin followed by metformin.

There was also an adult surgical protocol for preservation and/or improvement of beta cell function. This leg of the study involved 24 months assessment of gastric banding (lap band surgery) or metformin.

Primary outcomes are clamp-derived glucose-stimulated C-peptide secretion and maximal C-peptide response to arginine during hyperglycemia. Measurements are made at baseline, after 12 months on-treatment and 3 months after treatment withdrawal (medication protocols) or 24 months post-intervention (surgery protocol). OGTT-derived measures are also obtained at these time points.

RISE, both the pediatric and the adult studies, are going to provide instrumental data on preserving beta cell function and improving the long-term outcome for people with T2D or potentially preventing it from becoming T2D. It’s true what they say, prevention is the best medicine.